Dummy debate

gonzo127

McKneff wrote: »

I also think they are filthy and riddled with germs.

I gag when i see a parent pick a dummy up that a child has dropped, suck it themselves and then stick it in the childs mouth.
The transfer of germs is horrendous. YAK

this is such shocking marketing speil which is causing so many problems for children,

the first 6 years of someones life sets up the bodies immune response for the rest of their life and in all reality you need to expose your child to as many basic (non lethal of course) germs as possible so that their body learns how to deal with them

Spendless

My eldest did not have a dummy- I tried but he used to give it 1 or 2 sucks (and IMO discover it wasn't milk or anything to eat!) and spit it back out. Around 5 months I gave up, thinking what was the point in pestering him to have a dummy if I was then going to have to wean him off it. He has NEVER sucked his thumb. He has always been harder to settle sleepwise. This is still the case 10 years on. He thinks sleep is an optional extra!!

My youngest did have a dummy. She was a far more sucky baby. She had it at bed-times and in times of comfort until she was 3 when she gave them all away to her friend's newborn sister who hadn't got any. If it has hindered her talking then all I can say Phew, thank goodness. I hate to think how much she'd talk otherwise! Her god-father has told her that 'you're only allowed to say so many words in 1 day and she'll have used a life-times worth by the time she's 12' :rotfl:

thatgirlsam

both mine used dummies when they were little, at the age of 18 months they had to keep them under their pillows to use at night only.. and were chucked after about 6 months of that

my ds would only take 1 kind of dummy and we went to jamaica when he was 18 months old, we went on a boat trip and he started crying, i found a dummy in my bag and gave it to him which he promptly chucked overboard

he looked at me so sad and said ' no more '

and he never had another one after that

Caroline73_2

McKneff wrote: »

I also think they are filthy and riddled with germs.

Most parents would sterilise them, but it's no different to any toys that most babies under a year would play with. They go on floors and babies put them in their mouths, it's all part of their development.

onlyroz

kegg wrote: »

You can always take a dummy away but it is the devils own job trying to break a child of a thumb sucking habit

At least the baby gets a choice about whether to suck their thumb or not. I think there's nothing more hideous than seeing a small child with a huge plastic plug in their mouth (apart from perhaps seeing babies with pierced ears...)

jamespir

my little boy never had a dummy

OrkneyStar

kegg wrote: »

I would rather my child had a dummy than sucked his thumb.

You can always take a dummy away but it is the devils own job trying to break a child of a thumb sucking habit

My son automatically started sucking his thumb. Dentist suggests they mostly grow out of it naturally. Thumb to me is much more preferrable but each to their own!

Money_maker

And I hated dummies with a passion - said no way would a child of mine have one. About 6 days after DS1 was born I gave him a dummy (we called them soothers). As he got older, used it for night times only to drop off. Ditched when he was about 9 months. Same story with DS2.

DD was given the option on about 4 different shapes. Hated them all. Preferred to use the breast to soothe. All my lot were bf for about 3 months.

My opinion? I hate them but would do the same again. Theres no harm with young babies but once they reach the year milestone I think they should be ditched. Awful to see parents shovelling them in toddlers. IMHO anyway.

Incidentally, I was a finger sucker for years. I ended up with a brace for a few months. I also have a miscoloured finger.

thatgirlsam

onlyroz wrote: »

At least the baby gets a choice about whether to suck their thumb or not. I think there's nothing more hideous than seeing a small child with a huge plastic plug in their mouth (apart from perhaps seeing babies with pierced ears...)

can the child not spit a dummy out if they don't want it?

or is it glued in :rotfl:

thumb sucking can cause terrible damage to teeth and you can't chuck a thumb away

MERFE

My daughter couldn't keep a dummy in her mouth so never had one after trying a couple of times when she was a newborn I gave up.

DS on the otherhand had one and it was great. He gave it up really easily at 8 months as well, we forgot to take it to grandmas he cried for 15 mins before falling alseep for his nap then didn't give it to him that night and he didn't even stir.

On the speech thing, incidently DD who was interacted with constantly, talked to all day etc had loads of attention being a first baby, never had tv on and didn't have a dummy, she did have a speech delay but DS who watched all sorts of beebies shows from very young had a dummy and generally had to share attention has the best vocab of any 4 year old I know and his speech is very clear.

As for the germs I tend to agree with the toys thing, everything possible goes in babies mouths and doesn't tend to do them any harm. DS was certainly no iller as a baby than DD if anything less so.

So I hope this baby will also take to a dummy like DS did and I also hope that it will give it up just as easily too. Either way I imagine I'd take it away at a year, if there are none in the house they can't have one and will get over it.